SIA uses Gemalto to speed up nationwide NFC rollout in Italy

Gemalto and global payment processor SIA are joining forces to support rapid deployment of NFC services throughout Italy. Gemalto and SIA team up for the first national TSM infrastructure in Europe that can be utilised by all of the market’s key stakeholders, accessible to the country’s largest mobile network operators and leading banks.

Currently being piloted in preparation of a full commercial launch in mid-2013, SIA has already secured the support of primary Italian telecom operators and banks to provide NFC services through its central hub that enables contactless payment transactions. It will offer the benefits of the Allynis Trusted Service Management for Service Providers platform operated by Gemalto’s European secure data center, which is certified by Visa and MasterCard.

Up to 200,000 contactless payment terminals will be deployed in Italy by the end of 2013. SIA is putting Italy at the forefront of the cashless revolution and will help enable millions of consumers to make payments with just the tap of their mobile phone.

“By creating a central hub, we meet the needs of both the banking and telecoms sectors fostering the NFC ecosystem and mobile payments,” said Nicola Cordone, SIA Deputy General Manager. “Using Gemalto’s proven platform, SIA is allowing all stakeholders to avoid numerous individual arrangements when introducing new contactless services.”

“Across the world, momentum is gathering behind mobile NFC payment and in Italy in particular, where Gemalto already has a strong footprint in TSM implementations,” said Jean-Claude Deturche, Gemalto Senior Vice President, Mobile Financial Services. “Through this new deployment, SIA will benefit from our effective approach to accelerating the rollout and mass adoption of NFC services.“